Its constantly changing. Quite recently I kept playing Monk. Before that, a while ago, it was Bud Powell. Holliday always hits the spot, in a particular way and in a unique way, though I don't play her for long periods of time.

Right now its Charlie Christian. I want to explore him more, same with Wes Montgomery.
In the last week or two I heard some great Brubeck, and he's also uppermost in my mind. Some of it was not at all the 'safe' jazz he's known for - it was 'harder' and at moments even like Monk.

Before that, I went through a mini Chet Baker phase.

Keep meaning to research this fella some more, after hearing a live gig when he was played and I spoke to the pianist and asked about what it was:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4YWnjLFZ50

This number seems a bit soft and wimpy, but the number I heard I wasn't.

Plus, I understand there's a distinctive genre of Italian jazz, which is an interesting prospect.

Steve Coleman, weaving symbolics, might retire upstairs to it.

Well, now you mention it, I can speak from experience re. a certain Sicilian, which is pretty much Italian, who indeed promised much but delivered little, but that's as much information as I will fling into cyberspace.

I do find it interesting, that there are different versions of jazz with different characteristics; I'm not talking about fusion that's so fused it's virtually meaningless calling it 'jazz', but, as another example, the Nordic stuff like EST and Garbarkek. Which is not my favourite, but it does have a different 'tone'.

greenfox. Do you mean Holiday? Billie Holiday?

I'm a dance band fan and 30s swing and really enjoy her recordings with Teddy Wilson, Count Basie and those from that time under her own name. Lester Young is there too of course.